Concepts Ancient, Emotions New
by The Clover of Damnation
Summary: Owned by the same but written by a new author. With the last of his strength as he is plummeting to his death, Shadow Chaos Controls to an Ancient time in Earth where he is found and taken care of by a certain tribal princess. SHADIKAL
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **_**Concepts Ancient, Emotions New**_

**Summary: With the last of his strength as he felt himself plunging towards Earth, Shadow Chaos Controlled to safety only to end up in a different time where he's discovered by a certain tribal princess. shadikal**

**Genra: Romance**

**Pairing: shadikal**

**Rating: T encase there's any language, violence, and any suggest themes.**

Gravity weighed his weakening body down causing it to plunge further into the emptiness in-which space was. This burning pain was beginning to engulf his being singeing the ends of his dark fur. Though time felt as if it was slipping by so quickly, his fall to Earth wasn't coming as fast as it felt. With what little strength left within him, a few words formed onto his lips causing a lime light to outline them completely surrounding him. That's when his entire form was sucked into the emitting glow making him disappear…

"_Chaos Control…_"

Even though Shadow came to consciousness after passing out for knows how long, his onyx eyelids felt heavy keeping their position on his orbs. When the life form attempted to move… a sharp gasp fell from his lips when all types of pain shot thru every fiber of his being! Quivering, those eyelids of his were slowly yet surely making their journey upward from over his eyes. When he was able to get a glimpse of his surroundings… all he could see were miles upon miles of lush trees. That, and into the clearing his body had made crash landing into the earth. Where his body laid was a humongous smoldering crater. But what really had the male baffled was… _Who was he…?!_

Ebony ears then perked up twitching as some near by rustling came from his ride side. Jumping up on impulse, though he didn't have the slightest why he was reacting this way, he now stood upon his feet. His crimson orbs were directed in the area in which the noise started up, though never ceasing! He could feel his body tense up as this uneasy feeling churned in the pit of his stomach. What he really wanted to figure out was what he was afraid of more: what he expected to be before him, or the fact that he didn't know a damned thing wondering what he was expecting!

Brushing past the vegetations towards the mentally confused hedgehog was a female echidna. Her fur was of the color of citrus, and her eyes as blue as the sky blanketed over them. The clothes she wore were of a tribal clothing which was of a sleeveless small white shirt, a triangular pattered skirt made up of brighter earthly colors, a pure gold headband with a jewel in the middle, a gold rhinestone necklace, and a pair of worn out sandals.

Shadow felt his breath hitch when their eyes met. Then his heart race when this welcoming smile graced her muzzle.

_Who is she?_ Is what the ruby stripped male asked himself having his eyes follow her form as she began to make her way towards him.

Not sure of whether it was the echidna girl's fault or where he had woken up in, the life form felt his legs quiver then give out causing him to collapse to his hands and knees.

His ears had then at that point picked up a worried gasp before the quickening pace of rushing footsteps made its way to him.

"Are you all right?!" Were the words he heard asked at him as his eyes met with the soft color of the keeper's feet. Her voice was gentle holding this knowing grace to it that made his muzzle warm up, which made him wonder so.

"I'm not sure…" Spoke Shadow truthfully in a heavy tone. His black chest rose and fell at a slow pace being just as heavy as his voice now. He could feel his arms start to grow just as weak as his legs had so he lowered the rest of his body onto the ground where he laid his arms down to his sides. _All right, maybe it was what caused me the position I woke up in… _Thought the male hedgehog taking in a deep breath.

"So you were that blazing fire ball in the sky…" Began Tikal looking ahead at the gargantuan skid mark that had followed the person lying at her feet. "I'm surprised you lived thru that… Or that you were able to move…" She then squatted down beside him stroking the top of his head with a delicate gloved hand. "Where do you feel pain…?"

Though his body was filled with immense agonizing pain… that stroke to his head felt so wonderful… "Everywhere…" That was the strangled choking sound his voice made as he turned onto his back.

And before the two knew much about anything… This sudden swift amount of pain shot thru his dark body causing him to groan harshly. As he passed out… he heard a cry of worried confusion…


	2. Chapter 2

The black hedgehog seemed to be floating in some strange black void. He couldn't even feel himself, and felt like a soul detached from his body. Yet, he felt so relaxed, in this kind of state. It was only for a short while, until he started to feel this physical pain return to him. It was not as bad as it was before, for he had healed since then. He turned his head to his right, and felt it resting on something. Then he felt the rest of himself, lying on top of something flat, with his back against it. He heard a voice as well, but couldn't quite make out what the words were. It felt like his ears had been filled with water, or something that reduced his keen hearing. Slowly, his hearing started to improve, for once he heard the voice speak again, it was much more clear. "At last, he's waking up…" said the voice, which sounded like an aged female, just about 100 years old or more.

Shadow's eye lids felt so heavy, it seemed he would never get them open. He jerked his head to the other side, trying to fight off this slow process of recovery, but then a pair of hands carefully but firmly held his head in place. "Don't move around young man. You will further damage yourself." said the elderly voice. Shadow wanted to wake up immediately and find out what has happened, but he miraculously obeyed orders and held himself still. He was slowly regaining consciousness, and eventually opened his eyes to a dim lit room with shadowy figures and shapes that moved. His vision was still blurry, and like everything else was slowly coming back to him. "Look at his eyes!" said the old voice, which sounded both excited and amazed. "I've never seen anyone with that color eyes in all my life!"

The hedgehog breathed in and out at a rather fast pace. For a while he felt a little nauseous, and his head was spinning. Only it started to slow down as his vision was finally coming back to him. The tiny black dots in his eyes regained their normal size, and he was finally able to see where he was. The room was fairly dark, and only lit with candles, but his eyes were adjusting to it fairly quick. The walls were covered with murals and other ancient looking pieces, only they looked surprisingly brand new. Like something you would find in a museum, only without the 100 years of decay. He felt calmer now, and was breathing normal again. Shadow was on his back, and looking almost straight up. Looking down at him where two female echidnas, one looked very old, while the other looked rather young. Shadow looked at the younger echidna. She was familiar looking, but from what event had he met her before? As he tried to remember her, he had also wondered if the time he had been out for had eroded his memory. Then it hit him. He remembered her now; she was the echidna girl who found him in the forest.

Shadow tried to get up, but a fresh wave of pain shot through him in places. He tightly closed his eyes shut, and bared his teeth in pain. "I told you not to move. You are still in terrible condition." said the elderly voice in a calm and understanding tone. Shadow tried to speak, but it only came out in a quick gasp which had a hint of his voice in it, plus he wasn't so sure of what he was going to say right there. The young echidna girl came closer to him, and gently stroked the upper right side of his head. "Don't worry. You're going to be alright now." she said in that beautiful voice of hers. Shadow sighed, and opened his eyes again. He wanted to speak, but couldn't find his voice or his tongue.

"Just a few more days, possibly a week." the older female spoke again. "He won't be fully recovered, but he will be able to walk, and you could show him around our home for a short time." The echidna girl retracted her hand from stroking the hedgehog's head, and turned to face the older one. "Yes Grandmother." she said with a smile on her face. "You say he was that giant fireball falling from the sky?" the old echidna asked. The girl nodded yes. "I'm surprised at how quick he made a recovery from that, let alone lived through it." the elder answered again in that amused tone, looking at the black creature. The hedgehog's eye lids felt heavy again. Even if he had been awake for only a few minutes, he felt exhausted from trying to quickly recover what had been lost.

"He needs to rest now." the Grandmother said. "Yes." the girl said in agreement. The hedgehog relaxed his head, and shoulders. As the two were about to leave, they heard him speak finally. "Shadow…" he said. The young girl made a sound of questioning, as she looked back at him. He spoke again. "My name is Shadow."


	3. Chapter 3

The girl's name was Tikal. Shadow thought it was such a beautiful name, when she first mentioned it. The Elderly one that she was always with was called Grandmother. Even though the old one was truly Tikal's grandmother by blood, she wasn't the only one who referred to her as "Grandmother". She was the oldest and wisest, living among the tribe. Everyone looked to her, for advice and better knowing of life and other things. All but one looked to her for anything, though he wasn't mentioned to Shadow. And the black hedgehog learned all this, while still in recovery.

He had been well taken care of, while being held in that dark room, for those numbers of days that Grandmother had mentioned. Some of his limbs had been bandaged, for they had more severe burns and injuries from the fall he had taken to Earth. At last though, he could finally get up and move around. Grandmother had been the one taking care of him most of the time, having more wisdom and know-how in treating the ill, and severely wounded. Tikal just came around on certain days, to make sure he was feeling alright, and check on the progress of his recovery.

"Stand up young man." said Grandmother. Even though she knew the hedgehog's name, she still referred to him as "Young Man". It seemed that she had been taking a while to get used to the strangeness of his name, though it suit him very well.

Shadow sat up on the table, and set his feet on the ground with ease. "Does it still hurt?" she asked him. "In some places, but I can barely feel it." he answered. Grandmother made a slight nod. She summoned Tikal, who came at once. "Yes, Grandmother?" she asked. "I believe he's well enough. You can bring him outside, and show him around." Grandmother told her. "Yes." Tikal replied with a little hint of excitement, but still making the sound of obedience. The echidna girl came up to the boy hedgehog. They looked each other in the eyes for a brief moment. Tikal took his hand, and leads him to the exit door.

The early light of day was blinding, and Shadow blocked the view from his eyes. Tikal waited for a few moments. Then she carefully took his arm and lowered it from his face. Shadow squints his eyes for a couple of seconds, until they were adjusted to the light. He looked straight ahead, and stared in awe. He was standing at the heart of an ancient looking city. Now, the hedgehog had remembered a time when he heard about a Mesoamerican city created by the ancient echidna tribe. It gave him a hint to where he was now. Could it have been possible, that he had teleported himself to the past, using the Chaos Control?

Tikal carefully leads him down the steps, with his hand still in her grasp. "This is my home." she told him, in a gentle voice. Shadow was still taking in the scenery, and could barely find the words to reply back. "I see…" was all he managed so say. His voice sounded trailed off. Being outside in such a place, he felt as if he had learned almost nothing while recovering in that room. They both made their way down to the foot of the stairs, and the hedgehog looked ahead at the several pathways and roads that were neatly laid out with stone. "Follow me…" Tikal said.

Shadow was looking all around, while still keeping pace with the echidna girl. Along the way, he had been given the looks and stares of others passing by, most of them being male echidnas, that were bred and trained to be warriors. They must have never seen a hedgehog before or even heard of one. Shadow took nothing out of their staring, for he himself felt strange for being here in ways. Tikal began to mention a few other things about her people and the way they lived.

She had gone through the law that was among her people. Every one that lived in the tribe was treated like he was your own brother, and it was right to think of other people first, before thinking about yourself. This and many other laws had been passed on for thousands of generations, and the people abide to it, in the respect of Grandmother. In some ways, she was still head of the entire tribe, while another echidna was coming to power. The people listened to Grandmother with great respect, but they followed the other echidna who was rising to power and fast. He was given an even greater respect, it was either that or they feared him. But he was the one who would lead the people to war and further expand their territory. He was also the one, who never looked to Grandmother for anything.

"Come Shadow." said Tikal, as she further led him through the city. There were small places in the city, where females of various ages were working together, in support of the families and the community. Many of the teenage girls were weaving mats and tapestries, while the older ones were looking after the infants of families. As Tikal led Shadow through some of the areas, most of the young girls and children waved at her. She waved back at them. And as Shadow went by, a few of the teenage females let out flirtatious giggles, and complementary whispers of a handsome creature which they have never seen before.

Continuing through the city, they went walking through gardens, up some stairs that were connected to other buildings, and through what looked like an open-air market place. There were tables and stands which held exotic fruits, and sometimes fine jewelry. "You have a beautiful home." Shadow said to Tikal, almost surprising himself with what he said and thought about it. "It's true…" Tikal said with a smile of agreement. She was leading him through another garden, this one being much bigger and more resembling to the thick jungle which he cratered into. Wherever it was possible, the morning sunlight poked through the leaves of the trees. There was a certain beauty to it, which Shadow never noticed until now, and he slowly took it all in. Tikal sat down at the foot of a tree to rest her feet, and leaned back a bit, with her hands supporting her in a sitting position. Shadow came and joined her, slowly getting into a sitting position, so not to receive any pain from his wounded areas.

It was almost afternoon. The sun was at the highest point it would ever reach in the summer sky. Tikal decided to bring Shadow back into the pyramid. The black hedgehog clearly understood now. He had teleported himself to the past, long before human civilization had come.

Grandmother crushed a few herbs, and had mixed them into what she fed to the hedgehog. The herbs made the food distasteful, but it was medicine to give him strength for the next day.

"Your people have a very interesting way of life." Shadow said to Grandmother, as he was sitting back on the table, where he recovered. Grandmother made a slight nod of gratefulness. "My granddaughter has taught you the things that I have taught her. She has done well." she said. "I've never felt this way about any place or anywhere…" Shadow told her. Grandmother looked at him. "You must have lived a corrupted life, wherever you came from." she said to him. At that moment, a tidal wave of memories from his previous life suddenly came rushing back to him, and he wished that they hadn't. Shadow slightly hung his head, trying to hide the sad look on his face. "At some point, Tikal would want to hear about you, and where you came from…" said Grandmother. The hedgehog looked back up at her. "I'm sure she would…" he replied.

There was hardly any sleep Shadow got that night. Once he remembered those times before his arrival to this beautiful place, the memories haunted him for several hours, and never went away. He remembered the doctor, the fake hedgehog, the young pink one, and everyone else. He knew that it was only a matter of time before any memories of his previous life were swept away forever. As much as he wanted to forget all those memories, there were some parts of them which he feared about forgetting entirely.


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few days, Tikal had taken Shadow outside the walls of the city. Beyond the gate was a trail that leads into the forest, the same one in which she had found him. This was now the fourth day, she had taken him outside the city, and into the forest. She truly liked being there. Tranquility sounded through the trees, which had blanketed most of the sky with their green foliage. It had overpowered the feeling the hedgehog had of being there, when he crash landed. As they walked further, Shadow came to a sense that they were being followed. He stopped on the trail and glanced upward, seeing some familiar looking creatures floating overhead.

"They are called chao." Tikal said to him. Shadow knew what they were, but he did not answer back. He seemed rather distracted with surprise to see the familiar creatures. They made happy sounds, as they continued to circle around, above their heads. Tikal smiled as one of them came floating down towards her. "There is a beautiful place, somewhere beyond this forest. These little ones live there in peace, and are forever protected within the borders of those grounds." she said as she reached her open hand out to that certain chao. The little aqua colored baby placed its hand in Tikal's palm. Then another one came up from behind her, and gave one of her dreadlocks a playful tug. Shadow crossed his arms and watched her play with them, though his expression showed no sign of aggression, more like curiosity.

Tikal looked over at him, a moment later. "Come with me." she said, holding her hand out for him to take. Shadow gently took her hand and prepared for another walk with more things to learn from her.

They kept following the trail, passing through some ferns and ground plants that were so big, they grew passed Shadow's height! Along the way, there were a few sitting of some other buildings which almost resembled the ones in Tikal's home. But they were much older, and abandoned now. The forest had grown around them, and nearly consumed them from being viewed by other beings. Tikal kept on going with Shadow right behind her.

A while later, the path that they were on came to a clearing. Shadow looked around, and saw a great bridge crossing over a ravine, with a river flowing right below it. One the other side was a path, that lead up to a shrine. Something was glowing at the center of the shrine, but Shadow was slightly too far from it, to make out what it was. Tikal began to walk out into the clearing. She had let go of Shadow's hand by now, but he still followed behind her. She stood and stretched her arms out on both sides, as if taking in energy from the sunlight, which was now able to touch down on them in the clearing.

Tikal retracted her arms back to her being, and clasped her hands together, as if in a position of prayer. "Oh how wonderful I feel, to be privileged to walk among this peaceful place!" she spoke in a sweet uplifting tone. Shadow was almost standing at her side, when he picked up a familiar wave of energy. He looked ahead at the shrine that was on the other side of the ravine. The waves of energy seemed to be coming from there. Without a doubt, Shadow knew what it was. It was chaos energy.

Tikal turned and looked at him. "Isn't it beautiful?" she asked him "That is where all of the chao gather around in harmony, while most of them live here." Shadow did not look at her. He was still focused on the shrine, with its glowing center. "I see…" he answered in a gravely blank tone. For once since he's been here, he did not take in the scenery like before, but became curious as to what he was to behold at that shrine. Tikal assumed that he was admiring the scenery, at least on the other side of the ravine.

More chao were definitely seen here, some playing in the flowers on their side of the ravine, while the bigger number was on the other side, near the shrine. They made cries of joy at the sight of Tikal. The chao that were on the other side flew over the bridge and right over to her, possibly from being anxious to see her sooner. She was their trusted friend. She had taken her eyes off of the hedgehog once again, on the account of being distracted by the adorable creatures. Shadow finally looked at the echidna girl again, to see her back turned against him. There seemed to be a commotion rising up from the chao that were with them. It most likely had to do with Shadow. Tikal did her best in trying to comfort them, in the presence of a dark creature that looked so threatening to them. Shadow walked to the pillar that was at the right corner of the bridge, and leaned his back against it. He tried not to pose as a threat to the habitants of this tranquil place.

After a while, the young chao seemed to be at ease with Shadow's presence, seeing as he had done them no harm. Tikal was talking to them out loud. She was on her knees as they crowded around her. Shadow stood looking at her for a while, before setting his gaze back to the other side of the bridge. He started to take a few steps across, feeling drawn to that shrine. He looked back at Tikal, who was still distracted. Then he continued walking across.

The black hedgehog did not feel at ease, leaving the echidna's side while she wasn't looking. But the feeling of need to investigate the other side overpowered him. Almost to the other side, he looked back at her one more time. She was a little harder to see at that distance now, but Shadow could clearly tell that she hadn't moved from her position. Then he turned and looked at the altar, which was now just a short distance from him.

He had seen it before, or at least a replica of it built on the Space Colony ARK. It was clear to see now, the glowing green object found at the center of it, was the Master Emerald. And at the top of the pillars that circled around the shrine, were the seven chaos emeralds. The waves of chaos energy felt stronger, as Shadow continued to venture closer to the foot of the steps that lead up to the giant emerald. Then he felt a presence though he did not know from where. It couldn't have been Tikal. Somewhere among the pools that circled around the shrine, a section of water began to ripple and bubble.

Shadow fixed his eyes on the water that was trapped in the pool. This presence did not seem welcoming to him. Miraculously the bubbling section of water began to make its way out of the pool. Though as it touched the ground, it did not get absorbed into the earth, like water normally would. Shadow's heart started to race, and his tensions grew higher, as the unusual puddle of water stared to roll towards him.

It only stopped about ten feet away from him. Shadow felt his hands curl up into fists, feeling the need to be prepared for an unfriendly greeting. Alongside that, he felt regret for ever stepping away from Tikal's presence in such a place. The puddle of water was trying rather hard to splash upward by itself. But as it did, it began to rise and slowly take shape.

Still on the other side of the bridge, Tikal had finally got up from her knelt down position. She had realized by now that her hedgehog friend was nowhere in sight. "Shadow?" she called looking around on her side of the ravine. She quickly glanced here and there, but found no trace of him. A moment later, she heard a monstrous cry coming not from her side of the ravine, but from the other side of the bridge. Her mouth hung open, and her eyes were filled with a mix of emotions. Shock, anger, and worry.


	5. Chapter 5

The population of chao made upset cries and sounds, strengthening the feeling Tikal had, that the guardian was being attacked.

Near the emerald shrine the water creature shot a threatening glare at the black hedgehog. Shadow bared his teeth, and stood his ground. The water creature made slow progress of advancing towards Shadow, while in bodily form. But then he stretched his arm out at an incredible length, and made a swift and powerful swing at the hedgehog. Shadow had barely eluded the strike, but swiftly moved out of range, and now stood on one of the bridge pillars. The creature made another strike, but once again it barely came close to hitting the black creature, and nearly destroyed the pillar he was standing on. The world seemed to disappear, from sight and sound, as Shadow kept his focus on this new foe.

The being that had descended from the pools around the shrine showed to have no approval of the stranger being near this place. There was a sense of power he had detected somewhere within this hedgehog, a strange power that he must have over the sacred gems of the shrine. In any case, he believed that this hedgehog was an absolute threat to the balance, and tranquility of these grounds.

He stretched his arm out again, as he went for another attack at the black hedgehog. Once again, Shadow just managed to avoid the hit, and zoomed out of range of the creature's sight. He converted some of his energy straight into his palm, and threw a chaos spear at the watery part of his opponent. Since being attacked several times, the hedgehog felt that there was no greater sense, but to fight back now. The water creature nearly collapsed from the hit, but it wasn't enough, as he quickly regained bodily form. Shadow stared in disbelief. His attack nearly had no effect on this thing he was fighting with.

The hedgehog made a blind charge at the water creature, out of anger and wonder as to how this was possible. He thought he heard a voice right then. It seemed to call out his name, in some desperate tone. But it was too distant to penetrate his conscience. As he was drawing near, the arm of his opponent stretched out yet again, seeming to be his only way of attacking, while everything else seemed useless. This was almost too close, and Shadow could never run out of range on this one. Thinking quick enough, he jumped over the creature's head, and that's when Shadow spotted the creature's only weak spot.

Right there, inside creature's transparent head, was a brain. The one thing that was probably giving him a purpose to be alive like the way he was. Shadow knew where to attack him now, but as his feet began to touch the ground a great pain came straight to the back of his head, and he felt himself airborne again. The creature must have kept his swinging arm all the way around, and actually hit Shadow when he was somehow off guard.

Shadow hit his front on the stone laid path that was just near the foot of the shrine. This pain felt so horrible on his head. It was just about as bad as his crash landing injuries, when they were fresh. "That thing is so powerful and determined!" he said in his mind. He got up rather quickly, and turned to see that creature advancing towards him. He was almost on top of Shadow, when he jumped into the air again. But this time, he made an attack to the head of the water creature. His attack made it through to the brain, and the creature screamed out in pain as he collapsed into a puddle of water.

Shadow zoomed out of sight once again, and now stood near the bridge. The voice called his name again, this time being a little closer. But Shadow was still too focused on his opponent, to hear it clear enough. After a few slow seconds, the bubbling puddle of water managed to regain form. This creature could make no face expression, but Shadow had somehow detected rage in his eyes. Shadow's fist started to glow again, as he was ready to strike with another chaos spear, and this time make the shot at the brain. He had taken a few steps, which almost turned into a sprint. "Shadow, stop!" the voice called, this time loud and clear, as it went ringing through his head. The hedgehog came to an immediate halt, and froze in place.

He stared at the figure of a young girl, and the world seemed to come back to him.

The sound of water went rushing down through the ravine, and birds chirped through the few trees that were nearby. But Shadow was in too much shock to realize anything more. Standing between him and the water creature, was Tikal. She faced the hedgehog with her arms spread out on both sides, and seeing for the first time an upset look upon her face. "Please don't hurt him!" she said a few moments later, her voice sounding majorly upset.

"What!" Shadow answered, out of confusion. Tikal's face seemed to look more hurt by the second. "But he attacked me!" Shadow answered a moment later. It seemed childish for him to say something like that in his defense. She retracted her arms back, and clasped her hands together near her chest. "Chaos is my friend. He is the guardian of this place, and all who live here." she told him. Shadow's look slowly softened, and he came out of his fighting pose. He looked at the Chaos creature, who was now standing calmly behind Tikal. He remembered hearing about an ancient water creature known as Chaos, mainly from being an inspiration of one of the professor's creations, known as artificial chaos. But he did not come to realize that it was him until now.

Shadow looked back at Tikal, who still had an upset expression on her face. "Please Shadow; he was only trying to protect the emeralds from harm." She told him, in a tone that was asking for forgiveness. "I… I didn't know…" was all he could say to her. Tikal's facial expression softened, to some look of understanding.

The sun started to turn red, as it began to sink behind the valley. Shadow felt so confused now, but at the same time he felt a bit of fright in his heart. Remembering the dangers he could cause, then and now.

But there was something else, he felt. A question; was Tikal wondering about why he was headed up to the emerald shrine, when he was only curious at first and second something else? Would the echidna girl ever trust him again as much as she did, after what's happened today?


End file.
